Container and method of making the same



Aug. 1, 1939. McLAlN ET AL 2,168,231

CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 JNVENTUHS'. BENJAMN MULAJN .MELVJN 6'. WLANJJ flTTmEwExs:

Aug. 1, 1939. B. M LAlN ET AL CONTAINER AND METHOD MAKING THE SAME Filed June 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fzvvzzvz'azs. 14 ll BENJAMIN MLLAJN J0 J2 J3 AJ'ELWN 51 V/JLANU vflhw ATTURNEKi Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME BenjaminMcLain and Melvin G. Voland, Butler, Pa., assignors to Keystone Drum Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 3, 1938, Serial No. 211,558 Claims. (Cl. 153-1)- This invention relates to improvements in containers and the method of making the same, and is particularly directed to that class of containers having fibrous bodies and metal heads or 5 closures.

Heretofore, containers of the character stated have been producedof fiber, paper, cardboard and the like, having metal heads secured to the fibrous body by crimping, squeezing or otherwise clamping the metal closure against the body walls simply through the use of a compression pressure.

While such containers have proven satisfactory for packaging light dry materials, they have been found to be deficient in larger sizes and for heavier usages, as well as for retaining liquids, due principally to the failure of the joint or connection between the fibrous body and the attached metal parts. I

Our invention contemplates providing astrong leak-proof container, preferably having a laminated fibrous body and metal heads or closures rolled and interlocked with the body material in such a manner as to form a positive connection without undesirable cutting or deformation of the body material.

A further object is to provide such a joint or connection for securing the fibrous material and metal parts, having minimum size, and to thereby provide a rim or chime-like portion of sufficient strength to withstand severe loads without failure.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description .taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container embodying our invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged detail views showing a preferred manner of treating the container body prior to the attachment of the heads;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the container wall after being treated in the manner of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, diagrammatically showing the manner of spinning the metal heads thereon;

Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive are enlargedsectional views of a portion of Fig. 5, illustrating the method of spinning the head-onto the body; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view showing the finished connection between the head and body of the container.

Referring to the. drawings, 2 designates gen 56 erally the fibrous body of a container of cylindrical or other shape, said body being formed of paper, cardboard or the like. For most purposes, such container bodies may be made of laminated or multi-layer form as illustrated, by winding and gluing or cementing acontinuous strip of paper to obtain the desired wall thickness and strength.

Such a laminated body becomes hardened to a greater or lesser degree depending upon the quality of paper and cement employed. In most 10 instances, however, the finished solid fibrous body is quite hard and brittle, and when it is attempted to bend or compress the same, as when applying a'metal head in the old manner, thetendency is for the laminationsto crack or 16 sever, resulting in a weakened wall portion, which may cause leakage or complete failure.

We have found that when the laminations are free or uncemented, they have sufficient flexibility and strength to permit of a certain amount of 20 bending and compression without failure, and hence by separably freeing said laminations at the ends of the cylindrical body, we are enabled to readily attach a metal head or closure in such a manner asto provide a strong, durable and g5 highly eflicient container.

As shown inFigs. 2 and 3, we prefer .to pretreat the laminated or multi-layer cylindrical body 2 to effect a separation of the paper layers thereof at the ends of said body. For example, 30 an end 3 of the body is rolled or spun by and between a pair of rotating rolls 4 and 5, the roll 4 being fixed and roll 5 being movable toward roll 4 as indicated by the arrow a. The said rolls are offset with respect to each other so that 35 upon roll 4 engaging the inner surface of the body 2, roll 5 will engage the outer surface of said body in longitudinally spaced relation, whereby the end 3 of the body is bent and rolled outwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 40

Such rolling and bending process is continued until the paper layers become separated as shown, and also have attained a definite deflection or curl outwardly as in Fig. 4.

It is to be understood that while we'prefer to 45 treat the body ends by the processand apparatus shown, our invention is not to be specifically limitedthereto, as other equivalent means may be employed. Also, the laminated body may be formed with un'cemented free end portions, 50 whereby the aforesaid mechanical pre-treatment step may be dispensed with. However, in such! case, it is deemed advisable to pre-curl the free v ends, either in the abovemanner, or during the spinning operation as hereinafter described.

ally projecting annular terminal flange l extending outwardly over and beyond an end 8 of said body.

In the spinning application illustrated, the spinner head or plate 6 is preferably provided with means such as a shoulder or flange 6a overlying the end of the container wall engaged thereby, and said plate 6 is mounted to exert a pressure longitudinally of the body 2 against the plate or head 1 and the closure member 8 supported thereby, by'means of the flange 6a, as indicated by the arrow 17.

A rotating curling or forming roll II is provided with an annular rounded groove i2 having an extended gradually tapered entrance face i3, which face initially engages the outer circumference of the flange III as in Figs. 5 and 6.

Said roll ii is movably mounted in the direction of arrow 0, and upon being urged toward the body 2 and the head 8 being secured to said body, the flange I0 is curled upon itself as in Figs. 7 and 8, until, as in Fig. 8, the curling edge of said flange engages the separated and partially curled paper layers of the body end 8, which layers are urged and curled outwardly into the curling metal of the-flange under the pressure exerted thereon in the direction b by spinner member 6.

Due to the application of the pressure by member 8, a body having free uncemented substantially uncurled end layers will undergo sufficient pressure to impart the requisite curl to the said end layers for joining with the curling metal, as will be readily understood.

Continued inward movement of roll ll toward the external surface of the container body 2, together with the pressure of spinner member 6, continues the curling or rolling. movement of the flange iii of head 8 and the paper layers of the end 3 of the body into firm interlocked engagement. During the curling operation, the spinner plate or chuck 1 acts as a back-up roll against which the curling action takes place, and maintains the band portion. 9 of the head 8 in proper alined' contact with the inner surface of the container body.

At the exit portion-of the curling groove i2 is provided an annular ridge or shoulder H which finally comes into engagement with the exterior of the container body 2 immediately adjacent the curled metal flange Ill, and as shown in Fig. 9, slightly compresses the-body wall,.which compression together with the location of the portion ll of the roll i i, continues the inward curl of the terminal edge of flange i8, whereby the latter is slightly embedded in the body end 3.

Such final curling of the flange i0 causes the terminal edge thereof to compress the free layers of the body as indicated at din Fig. 10, whereby said terminal. edge lies within the limits of the body wall proper, and provides a substantial interlocking curl with the free ends of said body layers, within the rounded enclosing portion of said flange ID, as indicated at e.

The connection thereby produced combines an interlocking curling or rolling of the metal and body layers, which, together with the slight final compression of the latter,.provides a tight, highly eflicient structure. The said connection is made without changing the number of the body layers and without damage thereto. We have found that by means of our invention, we are enabled to form a strong durable connection resulting in a rim or chime-like edge for the container, requiring a minimum depth or width of the band portion 8 of head 8, whereby the tendency of said rim portion to bend or become deformed is materially lessened.

It will be understood that any standard type spinner machine may be utilized, and that except for the joining flange portion thereof, the

metal heads or closures 8 may be of conventional form. For example, 8a designates a standard top having a central access opening l5, (Fig. 1) which head is applied and secured in the manner herein set forth.

Various changes and modifications are contemplated within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

- 1. In the manufacture of containers or the like, the herein described method of connecting a metal part to a multi-layer fibrous body or the like, consisting in forming the endmost portion of the body layers in freely separated relation, thereafter applying the metal part, and curling the metal part into interlocked relation with said separated layers.

- 2. In the manufacture of containers or the like, the herein described method of connecting a metal part to a fibrous container body, consisting in forming the endmost portions of the fibrous layers of the body in freely separated relation, thereafter applying the metal part, and then curling the metal part into interlocked relation with said separated layers while exerting pressure endwlse of the layers.

3. In the manufacture of containers or the like, the herein described method of connecting a metal part, to a laminated fibrous container body, consisting in initially subjecting the endmost portions of the fibrous layers of the body to a bending force sufliclent to freely separate said layers and simultaneously impart an outward curl thereto, curling the metal part in interlocking relation with said pre-curled layers, and finally compressing said interlocked curl to imbed the metal curl within the limits of the body wall proper.

4. In the manufacture of containers or the like, the herein described method of connecting a metal part to a multi-layer fibrous container body, consisting in initially subjecting the endmost portions of the fibrous layers of the body to a bending force sufllcient to separate said layers to a material extent, thereafter applying the metal part, and then curling the metal part into interlocked relation with said separated layers. I

5. A container or the like having a multi-layer fibrous body toan edge portion of which a metal part has been applied after the fibrous layers of the body at one end were freely separated, and has thereafter been curled into interlocking relation with the said freely separated layers.

BENJAMIN McLAIN. MELVIN G. VOLAND. 

